A good effort put forward against one of the tougher teams in the East is exactly what Ottawa needed. Although being far from a decisive victory, the Sens were able to neutralize the Penguins offense by making smart high percentage plays. Unfortunately, the secondary scoring was absent (Vermette and Fisher in particular), however when the big line is hot, the Sens are able to get away with a little more.
Alfredsson might have silenced some critics with his on-ice awareness developed throughout his career. Despite only marking one assist, Alfredsson led the charge by playing a FANTASTIC game. Two obvious plays stand out 1) forcing an offensive zone faceoff by not touching the puck after a neutral zone high stick and 2) hustling back to the defensive zone without a stick to push the puck with his hand into the corner. Alfredsson also set up another Ottawa goal by blocking a shot that went off the laces (which turned into a Spezza goal). One of the strongest skills Alfie brings to the table is puck possession, especially in the offensive zone, and today was no different as the captain played with a little extra bounce in his step chasing down pucks and throwing effective hits to force turnovers in the offensive zone. Maybe playing against such talented young players brings out the competitive edge in Alfie - reinforced by the developing rivalry.
Ottawa is starting to look more like a team as players are starting to fall into assigned roles. It seems as though the solid play of Bell has giving Ottawa a little more "umph" in their offense - a style of game Ottawa knows all to well - by creating smoother transitions.
A full 60 minute performance is still one of the main barriers that the Sens must overcome to become a more competitive team.
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